Barbecue is popular all across the country, and is available in a variety of regional styles. Today, in addition to traditional brick-and-mortar barbecue restaurants, there are mobile barbecue trailers and vendors. Many consumers enjoy stopping at smaller barbecue businesses because they typically offer affordable prices, quick service and good-quality barbecue. If you would like to open a small barbecue business, you will need more than tasty recipes to be successful.

Focus on a specific type of barbecue to sell. For instance, you can sell barbecue tacos, Korean barbecue or Texas-style barbecue.

Write a business plan that covers analysis of competing barbecue businesses; list of potential selling venues; details about your niche and the demand for it; marketing and public relations strategies; three-year expense budget; three-year profit projections.

Contact your local department of health to see what licenses are required to start a food business. You may need a food handler permit, food manager certification, temporary food vendor's permit or a food enterprise license.

Obtain the permits required in your city to operate a retail business, such as an assumed name certificate, or DBA, Employer Identification Number or sales and use tax permit.

Make a list of local vendors you can obtain ingredients and meat from. Contact your local farmers market for a list of potential suppliers. Buying wholesale from local growers will ensure that you save on delivery costs and will allow you to only purchase food ingredients that you know are of high quality.